Stories about people who want to do better

Eureka Street doesn't try to review every film that comes out, not by a long shot. Instead we aim to address well-made films that have something substantial to say about the human condition. Our list often essential films from 2012 could broadly be named 'Stories about people who want to do better'.

They are films about characters who try to transcend corrupt environments, or are themselves corrupt and seek absolution. In one film, the central character wishes to obtain a fuller experience of his own humanity, and takes steps to achieve that. Mostly they are films that in some way reflect the struggle and desire to live ethically.

Alan and Nancy's son has hit Michael and Penelope's son in the face with a stick. The couples meet to resolve the situation civilly without bitter legal wrangling. But as with Australian author Christos Tsiolkas' The Slap this act of violence among children acts as a catalyst to exacerbate the characters' unease about a range of social and relational issues. A black comedy containing some razor sharp acting, especially from Foster and Waltz.

I sat with a lump in my throat for most of this film. It ploughed deep into my affective memory of being a high school 'wallflower', with the empathy and voyeurism and destructive self-absorption that entails. Part of the irony of such an existence is that while you feel deeply for others, sometimes being so deeply introspective means that you can miss the possible hurtful consequences of your own actions. Charlie learns this the hard way.

The best films about addiction are not merely voyeuristic, but offer insight into the nuances of the character's emotional and psychological makeup, and their humanity. As a story about addiction, Shame follows the formula, though in this instance the addiction in question is not a drug or other substance, but sex.Director McQueen's background is as a visual artist, and as such the themes of Shame are expressed both frankly and artfully.

The Sessions misses opportunies to consider whether it is ever ethically defensible for a woman to be paid for sex in the service of another's dignity. On the other hand Australian Jewish director Lewin should be commended for his affirmation of the dignity of those who experience disability, and frank and humane treatment of such individuals' sexuality.The 'sessions' themselves are conducted by the two actors with courage and sensitivity.

The Dark Knight Trilogy is surprisingly, poignantly humane by the standards of Hollywood action films. Rises finds Wayne too damaged — physically, psychologically and emotionally — from his past exploits as Batman to succeed alone against the formidable foe Bane. He requires and receives much practical and moral support. These good men who support and sustain him are the heart and soul of The Dark Knight Rises.

Margin Call is full of ethical and moral conversations about the kinds of behaviour that led to the Global Financial Crisis. Writer-director Chandor's Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay testifies to the film's efficiency and poignancy in exploring these ideas. The film is set in 2008 on the eve of the GFC itself and stands more as a kind of philosophical horror story than a cautionary tale about the destructive power of human greed.

Over the course of one long night, law officials traipse the fields and knolls of a Turkish steppe in search for a discarded body.Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli probes human faces with the same intent and intensity with which he regards the terrifyingly beautiful landscapes, as if to iterate the ways in which the menace, mystery and majesty of the natural world are mimicked in human nature.

Comedian-cum-iconoclastic filmmaker Goldthwait's brutal, didactic satire about the vacuous and exploitative nature of American mediapulls few punches. His antihero Frank has a violent streak even before this endless stream of television trash drives him off the rails. The film is exceedingly violent and does labour its point, but nonetheless it provides a stunning riposte to passivity in media consumption.

What makes a good teacher? French-Canadian drama Monsieur Lazhar offers two contrasting examples. The first is characterised by selfishness and absence: a teacher, after a period of prolonged stress, commits suicide in her empty classroom before school. The second, by presence and selflessness: Algerian migrant Bachir Lazhar's own experience of loss gives him something to offer the students that his predecessor so abandoned.

Hooper, best known as the director of The King's Speech, excels at the intimate moments of this film adaptation of the popular stage musical. Set in 19th century France during a time of great social inequality, it is populated by characters who incessantly plough their own moral and emotional terrain. Hathaway gives the performance of the film in a brief but pivotal role as a single mother sunk to desperate acts that shred her dignity.

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Our politics is focused on point-scoring, personalities, and name-calling across party lines. The media, for the most part, don't help, driven by the 24-hour news cycle and the pursuit of advertising dollars into a frenzy of click-bait and shallow sensationalism.

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It's good to know you will be reviewing films next year! I go a lot to see 'good' films and have to rely on reviews from French sources or English ones.I don't like wasting my time & money seeing the same American rubbish over and over again.
M. Lahzar was excellent, but my Australian friend didn't find it very interesting. Looks like my taste is different. So, I'm looking forwards reading your reviews! Cheers!nathalie | 20 December 2012

I always love your film reviews Tim. You always look at films I'm interested in. You summarise them beautifully and then analyse them without any hype or cutting critique. They're just the right length too. More please. Claudia | 21 December 2012

Holy Motors was by far the coolest thing you reviewed this year. (I haven't seen all these films, but I stand by my comment!). I really found that one fascinating for refusing to explain itself.Penelope | 22 December 2012